Help Reduce Fraud
The Canadian LOA Verification System helps reduce immigration fraud by allowing government to confidently verify Letters of Acceptance. As a current or prospective international student, you can do your part to prevent fraud by being informed and prepared. Follow this advice from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to avoid falling victim to a scam:
- No one can guarantee you a job or a visa to Canada.
- Only immigration officers in Canada, and at Canadian embassies, high commissions and consulates can decide to issue a visa.
- Processing fees for IRCC services are the same in Canada and around the world. Fees in local currencies are based on official exchange rates.
- IRCC will ask you to pay fees for Canadian government services to the “Receiver General for Canada”, unless stated difference on a Canadian visa office website.
It is important to remember that IRCC will never email or call applicants to confirm basic information provided on application forms or ask for banking or credit card information by email. An email you received might be a scam if:
- You did not expect the email.
- It is from a private address or fee Web mail address (such as Yahoo, Hotmail or Gmail) and not from a government of Canada “gc.ca” email account.
- The email uses a standard greeting instead of your real name.
- The sender asks you to update, validate, or confirm your personal information.
- You are told that you must act quickly to prevent negative consequences such as your application being cancelled.
- The email promotes a special immigration offer that sounds too good to be true.
If you choose to hire a representative, use an authorized immigration and citizenship consultant, lawyer or Quebec notary.
To report immigration fraud, contact the Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) Border Watch Toll-Free Line at 1-888-502-9060. If you believe you are a victim of an Internet, email or telephone scam or fraud while in Canada, you should contact the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
For more information, visit the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website.
